Two- or four-pipe heating and/or cooling systems are characterized by changing conditions due to valves opening and closing depending on the need for heating or cooling. This continuously causes flow and differential pressure changes.
Without proper measurements, such systems suffer from uneven heat distribution, poor energy inefficiency and are very difficult to commission.
To avoid these issues Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) provide the best and simplest solution.
By adding an actuator, the valves function as flow-limited control valves, automatically balancing the system and providing the best possible indoor comfort and energy efficiency. The commissioning of the system is a lot easier, all valves only need to be set to the design flow before the actuators are mounted.
Danfoss offers a broad range of pressure-independent balancing and control valves and matching actuators.
Features and benefits
Stable room temperature
Eliminating the overflow situations at partial load conditions has a significant effect on the stability of the room temperature
Improved indoor comfort
With the stable room temperature, the indoor comfort increases. Required temperatures are accurately met, increasing the productivity of office employees or benefitting the experience of hotel guests.
Energy savings
The perfectly balanced system, under all conditions, increases the energy efficiency and leads to savings on energy costs.
Reduced maintenance costs
As the pressure-independent valves ensure perfect working conditions, the actuators mounted on them require fewer movements to keep the temperature stable. This increases the lifetime value of the actuators and reduces the maintenance costs.
NEW: AB-QM 4.0
Get ready for the next level value of your PICV designs.
Product range
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AB-QM 4.0 Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICV)AB-QM 4.0 Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICVs) are the successor of Danfoss AB-QM. They offer best-in-class specifications and easy installation. The scaling- and clogging resistant design secures and outstanding reliability and long lifetime. They fit to the NovoCon S digital actuators. This enables HVAC data collection for e.g. remote commissioning and predictive maintenance, resulting in a lower Total Cost of Ownership.
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AB-QM
AB-QM Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) provide both a control functionality and dynamic balancing solution for HVAC heating and cooling systems. PICVs are designed for various types of terminal units and provide high indoor comfort and energy efficiency in public and commercial buildings.
Documents
| Type | Name | Language | Valid for | Updated | Download | File type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data sheet | AB-QM 4.0 / AB-QM Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICV) | English | Multiple | 07 Apr, 2020 | 2.5 MB | |
| Brochure | Energy saving solutions for renovation of heating and cooling systems | English | Multiple | 09 Sep, 2014 | 5.8 MB | |
| Application guide | HVAC Application guide | English | Multiple | 09 Oct, 2014 | 7.5 MB | |
| Brochure | Hydronic Balancing & Control product overview | English | Multiple | 11 Dec, 2016 | 1.1 MB | |
| Brochure | Hydronic Balancing & Control product overview | English | United Kingdom | 10 Nov, 2014 | 7.1 MB | |
| Brochure | Infographic - Actuator selection for AB-QM PICVs | English | Multiple | 10 Jun, 2020 | 1.6 MB | |
| Brochure | Infographic AB-QM 4.0 compared to AB-QM | English | Multiple | 07 Jun, 2020 | 1.3 MB |
3D models and drawings
BIM library for MEP designs
Get your 3D BIM objects and start design HVAC 4.0 for smart buildings.
Software
Danfoss C.H. software
Our advanced Danfoss C.H. software will help you to design and calculate the perfect heating or cooling installation with Danfoss products.
Related products
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Actuators for PICVs
To take advantage of the combined balancing and control features of Danfoss AB-QM it has to be equipped with actuators controlled by room thermostats or a Building Management System. Danfoss offers a broad range of actuators varying from thermal on-off to digital step motor actuators with bus communication.
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NovoCon® Digital actuators
With NovoCon® Danfoss revolutionizes the way hydronic balancing and HVAC control work together. The first of its kind digital HVAC actuators are directly connected with a Building Management System (BMS). This enables System Integrators to design state-of-art, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
Case studies
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Outstanding HVAC flexibility after high-end office building renovation
Building: Office
Application: Hydronic balancing and remote control of 4-pipe heating/cooling change-over system
Challenge: Ensure a flexible to use HVAC system with DGNB sustainability certification
Solution: Digital NovoCon actuator combined with AB-QM control valves and NovoCon CO6 combined with ChangeOver6 as a combination balance the system hydronically, allow remote access via a BMS and control the room temperatures during both heating and cooling operation. -
Smart HVAC control solution for the I-tower at WTC Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Building: Office
Application: Climate panels with a four-pipe change-over system for Heating and Cooling
Challenge: Establish a modern, innovative HVAC control system optimized for flexibility in (changing) usage of office space
Solution: Integration of Danfoss field devices with the Building Management System via BACnet bus-communication -
High-end climate solutions in Waldorf Astoria by Hilton, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Building: Hotel
Application: Hydronic balancing and control for radiator heating and fan coil cooling
Challenge: Establish top level comfort and minimum energy consumption for heating and cooling
Solution: Fan-coil units for cooling; 8 heating risers and radiators equipped with Danfoss products. -
HVAC control at Katowice business centre, Poland
Katowice Business Centre is a modern office building where Danfoss hydronic balancing solutions are used; AB-QM balancing and control valves in combination with revolutionary NovoCon® actuators.
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Energy comfort in Prime Tower, Zurich, Switzerland
The Prime Tower in Zurich is a building of many records. With its 126 meters it is the tallest building in Switzerland with 36 floors and 40,000 square meters accommodating mostly offices. And with its more than 6,000 AB-QM valves it is also one of the biggest heating and cooling installations ever designed and installed by Danfoss.
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Hydronic balancing in SAMBA bank head office, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
At the heart of the new King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stands the impressive SAMBA head office. The 40-storey building represents a landmark in sustainable architecture and engineering and forms an attractive work space for the 800 people working in the SAMBA Financial Group head office.
News
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NEW: AB-QM 4.0 FlexoMonday, October 19, 2020
Read more about our new, compact, 8-in-1 PICV solution for fast installation, flushing and servicing of Fan Coil Units in hydronic HVAC systems as used in public and commercial buildings.
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NEW: AB-QM 4.0 Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valve (PICV) for smart buildingsFriday, October 11, 2019
Danfoss AB-QM 4.0 replaces AB-QM Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICVs)
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